When hospice reverts to the lowest common denominator and leaders obsess about metrics, it's time to speak. Self-inflated leaders assume clinicians give until their backs break, given no raises for years. A clinical ladder is a rainbow’s pot of gold. Others have a sorrier job and must be motivated by money. Abysmal leaders dangle extrinsic rewards for admission, hiring and EDBITA targets. “Sign on” bonuses entice people into a poor work environment. Employees’ voice equals their raise, zero.

Gentiva had over 5.5 patients per employee in 2012. The differential implies Harden had 0.8 patients per employee (25,000 patients/32,000 employees). Could Community Care's 31 locations have distorted the numbers so greatly? If yes, that's a staff intensive product line (quantity wise).

The end result is Gentiva has triple the number of employees to ignore.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

A Gentiva ex-employee posted a review on GlassDoor before Thanksgiving. It points to the OneGentiva reorganization and the integration of Harden sites, most of which will be done by the end of the year.

"Worked directly with absolutely Great people but Corporate management seems completely focused on their balance sheet."

RN Case Manager (Former Employee)
North Atlanta, GA

I worked at Gentiva full-time for less than a year

Pros - The character and compassion of the (disposable) people who you work with....... And if you like being used, lied to and then unceremoniously discarded with one day's notice and a two week severance package, Gentiva is a wonderful place.

Cons – Corporate Leadership's history (and future) of closing offices and terminating employees because last month's plan is changed to not being in this month's plan. ..... One day you're told that you're doing a great job
and the next you're told that you're no longer needed. Gentiva has become a company that makes money off their employee's compassion but has no compassion for it's employees.

Advice to Senior Management – You're on the path to move from being the "biggest player in the market" to becoming a business school "case study" on how to completely lose sight of what made you successful. .... And changing your name to try to avoid the bad reputation you're building in the market is not "a fix".

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

It gives Home for the Holidays a new twist for the recently unemployed. The Gentiva jobless might envision CEO Tony Strange as Ebenezer Scrooge or The Grinch prior to growing his heart. Apparently, firing people and closing locations is fun, a key component of Gentiva's latest strategy.

Time and time again Gentiva executives showed their lack of understanding of hospice philosophy and end of life care. They plan to solve hospice volume issues by installing leaders who have to manage and market two other product lines. I see the move as backhanded punishment for hospice executives who failed to deliver results for the last 21 months. Let me know your insights,